I bought a Remington 700 Classic Stainless in 257 Roberts and replaced the stock with a Boyd's Thumbhole laminated stock. The laminates are almost impervious to weather. They can still gain or lose a little moisture in very wet or dry climates. This isn't to the degree a regular wood stock can. The gain or loss will be very minimal and rarely has an effect on zero. I chose laminate because I hate the look and feel of synthetic. One drawback to the laminates is that they will be heavier than a synthetic and are usually heavier than factory wood stocks. I think the laminates are some of the best looking stocks on the market. The laminate I purchased was in finished condition and was sealed with a synthetic urethane clear cote finish. New factory rifles are usually stained and sealed with a synthetic finish to make them more weather resistant. They are more weather resistant than they were 25 years ago. If you choose a laminate it's still subject to scratches and dings. A synthetic isn't susceptible to scratches and dings. If you decide against a laminate buy a quality synthetic and not one of the injection molded pieces of junk for under $100. As with anything you usually get what you pay for.